Yeah, they are. That's sorta what makes them easier to care for than a regular dog. They're a lot smarter, not that dogs are unintelligent, but they can't really communicate as well as these guys.

All that being said, individual personality's probably the biggest factor in how much attention they need, regardless of whether you hatch 'em or catch 'em. That seems to play an even bigger role than age from what I've seen so far.